How Can We Compete?

Sat at my computer, still smarting over the weekends defeat, I got to thinking 'how can we compete?'

As many of you know I've been campaigning for Arsene Wenger to sign a tough tackling central midfielder, but how much difference will that make?

I'm not usually one for making excuses, and I hate it when managers try and talk their way out of critisism, but how can we compete with the Bolton's, Blakburn's and Newcastle's of this world if referee's won't let us tackle. Now don't get me wrong, I think Arsenal's form on the road has been very poor this season and radical changes need to be made, but the so called 'rough & tough' teams seem to be able to get away with more of the physical stuff than the 'football playing' teams for that exact reason.

The referee's recognise that these teams need to play to their strengths, and as such see it as part of their game, but when the football connoisseurs start trying to hit back, then the men in black seem to believe that it is not part of our game and punish it accordingly.

Do you honestly expect me to believe that the fouls that Gilberto committed would have been carded if it were a Bolton or Blackburn player making the challenge??